Over the Horizon
by Nevon
Summary: Leaving her quiet village in the countryside, Aileen heads to the city to sell flowers to raise money for her poor family. With her puppy, Mr. Rover, she begins her journey into the plains, only to find some painful news awaiting her.
1. Chapter 1

Over the Horizon

Chapter 1

"Aileen, what are you doing?"

"Watching the sunset, daddy," replied the young, farm girl. She smiled, daydreaming of adventures as she stared out into the grassy distance from her bedroom window. The sky was a blend of ascending orange and engulfing lavender. The wind blew against her face, cool and invigorating as the day quickly merged into night.

"Well, be sure to rest up for tomorrow, honey. You will be traveling to Treno and you will need the energy."

"Alright, have a good night, daddy."

Quietly, the door shut behind her. Sure that her father has left her alone, Aileen quickly turned around and jumped on her bed, scaring the sleeping puppy on her soft bed as the springs launched the puppy about two feet in the air before it landed back on the bed.

"He-llo Mr. Rover! Are you sleepy already?"

Mr. Rover, for a moment, watched Aileen with his large puppy eyes, but simply went back to sleep, knowing she meant no harm. To see in the fading light, she reached over to the nightstand beside her bed and lit a candle. Now with a little more visibility, Aileen searched under her bed and pulled out a small book. There was a pencil in the spiral binding and the front cover was striped red and green. She flipped through the pages, turning to an empty page and taking the pencil out of the spiral binding.

"Dear, diary..." she spoke as she wrote, "Tomorrow, I am, going, to Treno. It is, the time, of the year, that, I, sell, flo…" Childishly, she spelled out each letter as she sounded out the word. "Flowers, to, help, daddy." She closed her diary and put it away, feeling accomplished for successfully add another entry to her journal. With no desire to sleep, the young girl decided to talk to Mr. Rover, her beloved companion.

"Mr. Rover, ready to go tomorrow?"

Carelessly, the dog rocked his head back and forth in his sleep, eyelids still shut. Aileen picked him up and raised him above her, startling the poor canine.

"At least pretend to be interested! If mommy was still here, she would take me there, buy me candy, take me around the city, and show me so many super-duper awesome things!"

At this point, Mr. Rover was wide awake, staring face to face with Aileen. He gave a small yelp, sounding a little confused.

"Oh, you don't know mommy, do you? I love mommy, but when she passed away, daddy was really sad, and that made me really sad. She would hold me when I cried, and sing songs to put me to sleep. Sometimes, she would sit by my bed and tell me stories, but I did not understand too well since I was still too young. One time, she told me about the nymphs who lived in the forest, and they sang songs to travelers who were truly kind at heart. Also, every day, mommy would take me outside and show me the sunset. My dad thinks I got that from my mom," Aileen whispered to Mr. Rover as though not to let anyone eavesdropping hear.

Mr. Rover struggled out of her hands and licked her in her face. She was surprised, flinching and struggling.

"Alright, enough, Mr. Rover! I see you want to sleep. Wake up bright and early tomorrow!"

Aileen blew out the candle on the nightstand, although taking couple of tries to accomplish her goal, and slipped back into bed. Mr. Rover readjusted himself at the edge of the bed, drifting back to sleep beside his young mistress. Slowly, the young farm girl followed suit as her eyelids grew heavy and her mind submerged into a heavenly dream, regardless of the anxiousness of tomorrow's adventures.

…

The warmth of the early sunbeams which peered through the edge of the blinds pulled Aileen out of her sleep. She got out of bed quietly, careful not to wake up Mr. Rover. With a tug of a long string, the young girl pulled up the blinds, illuminating the room in a vibrant orange. The dew on the flowers which sat atop the windowsill shimmered with light and the family picture next to the flowers shined with a glare. Mr. Rover squinted his closed eyes, trying to sleep, but involuntarily woke up.

"Good morning, Mr. Rover!"

The puppy dog drowsily yawned, showing his small, sharp teeth. Aileen faintly smiled and started to get ready for her day.

…

"Aileen, don't forget to visit the Morris family in the observatory before you go, alright? Van and Kim want to go from what I hear."

"Really?" Aileen quickly ate her toast, enthusiastic for the day ahead with her favorite playmate. Van was two years older than Aileen, and he was always fun to play with. Often, when the adults were working in the field, the two of them would go off into the forest to play, even though the adults told them not to. Kim, Van's younger sister, stayed inside every day, helping mother cook dinner.

"Say goodbye to everyone before you go, alright? I'll be waiting for you to come back before sunset." The two of them walked onto the front porch, Aileen's dad locking the door behind them as they went. Mr. Rover followed behind Aileen, still half awake.

"We'll be sure to say bye, right, Mr. Rover? Bye daddy!"

With a hug goodbye, Aileen ran off into the small street that ran through the village. Her small pack on her back rattled as the bells attached jingled. Not many people were in the streets this early, and of the few that were awake, Aileen greeted courteously. Past the houses, she walked onto the road out of town with nothing but calm plains and lush greenery to greet her and her canine companion.

It didn't take long to reach the mountain observatory. She had walked down the path so many times, memorizing literally every nook and cranny around. Mr. Rover jovially followed, each of his light footsteps patting the ground. The plains disappeared at the end of their eyesight and were replaced by the empty air which loomed over the gigantic valley below. The observatory overlooked the flat land still in front of her as she stepped onto the front porch of the house at the bottom of the mountain.

"Van! Kim!" She knocked on the door sincerely. "Are you guys ready?"

A minute passed slowly. Then another passed as well. No response.

"That's odd. Is no one home?"

Mr. Rover looked behind quickly toward the sound of familiar footsteps.

"Aileen, is that you? No one's home at the moment."

She turned around to see Mr. Morris. He, as usual, was walking around on his cane in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Oddly, though, he did not seem as happy as usual. It was if more wrinkles appeared on his face as his usual smile shifted to a gloomy frown.

"I'm sorry to say this to you, dear, but Van got lost inside the ice caves outside of town."

The words stunned Aileen, unable to take in the words that Mr. Morris had just aside.

_Van…lost…? That can't be right._

Mr. Morris shook his head as he continued on. "We have not seen him since yesterday. His mother and sister are waiting by the entrance, waiting for him to come out any second now. Some of the villagers are helping search for him, but hope appears bleak. He may have been killed by wandering goblins or fell off a rock and got a terrible wound. Oh, look at me, mourning when he could already be found. Would you mind helping an old man walk back?"

Aileen remained frozen, still in shock.

_Lost? But…but…we were supposed to go to Treno together!_

Slowly, her intangible trance returned to reality as Mr. Rover gently rubbed his nose against her leg, as if to wake her up or to ask her something. Aileen shook her head and saw Mr. Morris offering her his frail hand. With a nod, she took the hand and led the way.

The young girl couldn't believe what she had heard. Van got lost in the caverns that they played in almost every day? It couldn't be possible. Hopefully, they found him already, she thought to herself as she conjured hope.

…

"Aileen! It's so terrible! We couldn't find him!" Van's mother sat on a smooth rock outside the cavern entrance, sadly greeting Aileen and her husband as they came closer. It was easy to tell the mother was trying hard not to let her voice choke. She held Kim closer, who sat beside her. A few other villagers sat with them as well, carrying the same expression. Mr. Morris talked to a few people and came back to Aileen with a question.

"I know you want to go to Treno, but maybe you want to head back home or stay with us? From the look of things, Kim doesn't want to go anymore and it would be dangerous for you go off by yourself."

A part of Aileen wanted to stay behind, but she couldn't go home because her father wouldn't be home until sunset and she did not want to burden the Morris family by staying at their house. Plus, the flowers she had packed would wither if she did not sell them in a day or so, and after she had spent so much time picking them…

"No, it's fine," she replied, "I have to get going if I'm going to get to Treno on time."

She politely thanked Mr. Morris and walked off toward Kim. Kim held on her mother's arm like a child who fears losing their way. Asking her to come along would be too much for her to handle.

"Is there anyone to come with me," Aileen courageously asked. No one would go with her. John Long, the owner of the tavern, had to manage the mead stored in his cellars. Tim Arish had to tend to his livestock. No one could escort her to Treno except for Mr. Rover, her loyal companion.

"Well, Mr. Rover, shall we get going?"

He replied with an energetic yelp. With that, the two went on their way to Treno, the city of eternal night.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the Horizon

Chapter 2

"First, we'll go through the nymph forest and then past the border. We'll go through some really 'ginormous' gates, and they'll let us through as long as we are nice people. Mommy would always make the guards laugh, because she said that no one talks to guards and they are always lonely by themselves."

Mr. Rover continued walking along, staring back at Aileen with his large puppy eyes, perhaps interested in the conversation.

"Oh, and then we could buy some bundt cake while we're there! The cooks would always make it really warm and tasty and fluffy and so big that everyone could eat as much as they want! You never tried any, have you? We are going to get some, and you'll love it too."

Smiling, the young girl turned her head back to the road in front of her. The memories slowly came back to her as she daydreamed about all the pleasantries of the past. The air was calm, a tickling zephyr blowing against her face. The sun hovered above the clear sky, but the temperature was neither hot nor cold. It was just right. Days like these were perfect to lay on the grass and sleep, ignoring all troubles in the world.

They arrived at the forest in a short amount of time. As they stepped onto the grove, the lighting dimmed and the breeze faltered, replaced by the subtle rustling of trees. Now and then, one or two leaves or petals would fall, drooping to the ground very slowly.

"Mommy always told me that if you listen carefully, you could hear nymphs playing in the forest, and they wouldn't dare talk to you or show themselves to you because it's against the nymph laws."

As they stepped against the ground, the leaves crushed under their feet. Snap, snap, spoke the ground. Snap, snap, went the leaves. Snap, snap, snap, too many snaps. Snap, snap. Aileen pondered if she was being followed and stopped walking with Mr. Rover following suit. Snap. Snap. There was someone behind them.

_A nymph?_

Quickly, she turned around with fear and curiosity. Not too far away in the distance stood Kim, following with her childish running stride. She came close enough to carry a conversation, crunching many leaves along the way.

"Kim! I thought you didn't want to go?"

Timidly, Kim shook her head. She still wore her dress from earlier which was pale in comparison to Aileen's.

"I never said that," mumbled the girl, "I wanted to go." It was different, for Aileen, to see Kim out of her house. She would be at home with her parents and…

"But, your parents will be worried and--

"They let me come along, but asked me if I wanted to stay home. I still wanted to go."

There was something in Kim's words that showed that she wanted to go. It was definitely unorthodox for her, the girl who Aileen believed would never want to go more than ten yards from her house without her brother.

"Do…you know what happened to Van?"

Kim only walked ahead in unusual silence.

"Keep walking and I'll tell you."

The three of them continued on their walk. Aileen was very curious about what had happened to Van. Anxiety built up as they walked on without a single word. The forest seemed eerily quiet during those moments.

"Van was kidnapped protecting me."

Kim spoke quietly, mustering her strength to speak. Her eyes were closed, but she continued on.

"While we were wandering the ice caves, some soldiers were also inside and thought we were goblins. One of them tried to hold me down but Van pushed the soldier off of me. He told me to run, and I did, but Van couldn't make it. I got home and mommy and daddy asked me what happened. I could say was that Van got lost."

"You didn't tell them about the soldiers?"

"No. I didn't want mommy and daddy to worry anymore than they have to. They love Van, and if they had to worry about scary soldiers, staying up all night to protect me because they lost Van, I would be very sad."

"I would be sad too, but coming with me will make them worry."

"I never get out of the house, and when I watch you and my brother play, I really, really, really, want to come along too, but mommy wants me to stay home to help. She knows I'm always lonely, so she decided to let me go with you, as long as I stay safe." Trusting of Aileen, Kim nodded her head as if they would always be safe.

Aileen pondered for a moment, whether or not this story seemed plausible. Of course, the trip would be nice with another girl to talk to, but it wouldn't be the same without Van. Then she looked at Mr. Rover. He went near Kim waving his tail gleefully. She crouched down and smiled at the adorable puppy, scratching him behind the ear. Well, if Mr. Rover liked him, why shouldn't she come along?

"Alright Kim, I have decided that you are coming with us!"

"Yay," shyly replied Kim, getting up. "We should get going then, I mean, if you want us to."

Aileen laughed at the silly comment and ran off ahead, yelling back to tell Kim to catch up. Kim ran off with her, chuckling as they went with Mr. Rover along their side. All their footsteps crunched in the field of fallen leaves. However, in the back of Aileen's mind, a small feeling of uneasiness, a premonition, about Van's kidnapping kept her thinking about what it foretold.

On they went through the forest. The two were fascinated by the flowers blooming in season. Kim could not help but smell every flower while Aileen picked some for the trip, happy to see some blooming flowers to brighten the mood. Mr. Rover, merrily wagging his tail, smelled some flowers himself. A bee flew out of a daisy as he smelled it, scaring Mr. Rover as he fled back a few feet. The girls laughed and went to comfort the poor puppy.

In only an hour, the group got through the forest and was on the path to the border, surrounded by a small plain. They couldn't get lost, for if they ventured too far to their left, the valley that plunged miles below would prevent them from continuing on. If they ventured too far to their right, the large, escalating mountains would impede their path. In addition, a straight path constructed from the forest to the border to Treno was constructed. It was not of their nature to wander off, but if they did, the girls could not get lost.

"Kim, have you ever tried bundt cake," asked Aileen as they strolled on the road. Kim looked away from the clear sky to look back at Aileen. "No, what is bundt cake?"

Mr. Rover glanced up, excited by a familiar phrase. Aileen petted Mr. Rover and whispered to him, "Just a little longer," as though answering to his thoughts.

"Well, it's like a cake that's real sugary and frosty! It's so delicious! When we get to the rest stop up ahead at the border, I'll get us some. You will love it."

"Oh no," quickly replied Kim, "I don't feel right taking something that I didn't pay for, and I didn't bring money."

"You didn't bring money for the trip? Oh, well don't worry, I have enough to share. Normally, I would share with my mommy or daddy, but since they're not here, I guess I will share with you."

"Really?"

"Really. Now come on, I already see the big gate they use to let people in!" Aileen grabbed Kim's hand and ran, pulling her along. Kim giggled to herself and followed along willingly having saw this coming. Mr. Rover kept up with them, yelping in the gamboling excitement that once again took over them.

It did not take much running to reach the "gate," which was actually a drawbridge. Kim was astonished by the size of the bridge, or maybe simply by the sight of it. After all, this was her first trip with Aileen and her first encounter with a large, wooden door connected by chains and sprockets. The soldier standing firmly at the base of the gate smiled at them, happy for their company perhaps.

"Hello there, you two. Traveling by yourselves, I see."

"Yes we are! We're going to Treno to sell flowers," Aileen spoke happily to answer him. She reached into her pack, pulled out a small letter, and gave it to the soldier. After a minute or so, the soldier gave it back after careful inspection. A quick yell to another guard inside, and the giant drawbridge lowered, revealing the path with more greenery about and a stone fountain."

"Go on inside. Be safe and don't cause trouble."

"Thank you, sir, I'm sure we will. Oh, and do you know," Aileen said trying to hold back a smile, "what kind of room doesn't have windows?"

The soldier pondered for a moment, but gave up. "I have no clue."

"A mushroom!" To add on to her joke, she spread her arms wide and held them out while the guard chuckled.

"How interesting! That was a pleasant joke. You know, you should tell that to the pet store owner in town. Maybe your puppy could get a discount on biscuits. Oh, but I'm taking up your time, have a nice day now."

The guard got back on duty, returning to a stern, adamant posture. A simple wave was their goodbye as they went on ahead.

"I thought soldiers were mean people," whispered Kim when they were out of earshot.

"No way, silly! They can be happy people too!" To avoid the uncomfortable talking, Aileen started humming to herself as they went along. She enjoyed the tune she sung, but she never knew where she learned of it. Her father didn't know. All he said was, "You must have a musical talent. You didn't get it from me, that's for sure." From that moment on, she dreamed of being a musician with fancy instruments, opulent clothing, and amazing friends. Of course, she didn't have any education or anyone to teach her so the closest she came to music were the musicians in Treno.

Now, the path divided into two paths. One led to Treno and the other led to the rest stop. As they turned to the path to the rest stop in search of a quick break and bundt cake, Mr. Rover ran on ahead, sniffing the air curiously.

"Oh, can you already smell the bundt cake, Mr. Rover?"

Aileen took a whiff of the air as well, expecting a sweet, maybe honey-like smell. However, hoarse, thick smoke was in the air, ascending from the direction of the rest stop. Kim gasped as she discovered the defiling aroma in the air. She looked over at Mr. Rover and found him coughing. Aileen turned to her with a horrified expression.

"Kim…you don't think something bad happened to the rest stop, do you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Over the Horizon

Chapter 3

The two ran toward the rest stop with Mr. Rover leading the way by several feet. The pungent smell of warm ashes filled the air, chiding against their throats. The sky turned from blue to orange to black as they progressed further in, as though they had wandered toward the center of a dense smoke cloud.

They eventually reached the rest stop. It was hard to see through the thick air, but it appeared that the villagers were hiding in their houses. The buildings' doors and windows were shut and locked. No one was walking around and the tram station which connected this village and the station above in the mountains was not in service. Kim quietly coughed as she whispered aloud to herself.

"Where…is everyone?"

A faint slamming sound came form one of the houses. A man stood in the doorway, waving them to come in.

"Get in! It's too dangerous to be outside!"

They ran into the house, being sure not to trip along the way. Out of the smoke they went. The man shut the door, locking it with several metal locks.

"You girls shouldn't be outside with this bad weather. You could develop breathing problems." Kim quietly coughed to herself once more. "Oh, that's not a good sign." He went down the small hallway before him and turned at the end. His voice sounded further away as he spoke. "There's cake in the kitchen if you'd like, but please drink plenty of water. I'm sure your throats are hurting from being exposed to the rough air for so long."

"Yay! Cake!" Aileen quickly slipped off her shoes and ran into the first room in the hallway, most likely the kitchen. Mr. Rover scampered behind her along the wooden floor. It was quite amusing to hear his feet patting dit-dit, dit-dit, dit-dit, dit-dit trying to catch up to Aileen.

Kim glanced around the house curiously. There was only a hallway with several entryways on the right. The wood interior seemed well furnished, perhaps mahogany or maple. It didn't matter much to Kim because wood is wood. She meticulously took off her shoes, untying her shoelaces which she had practiced tying days before. There was worry on her mind though, maybe for the townspeople who were hurt in the smoke or perhaps a sense of anxiety for leaving her home. Was everyone ok? Do they miss her? How will she tell them what really happened to her? Or why she even went? Maybe…

"Kim, what is taking you so long? Come in here!"

"Oh, coming!" Kim simply put her worries into the back of her mind and went into the kitchen. It was small, holding only a small dining table for two, a sink, and several cabinets, littered with condiments and cooking supplies. At the table was Aileen, indulging herself with cake.

"Here Kim," she said excitedly, "this is the best cake you will ever taste."

Aileen handed a piece of cake on a plate to Kim. It was yellow on the inside with white frosting outside. She could see batches of sugar sprinkled on and the appearance seemed to be very fluffy and puffy, much like how Aileen described it in her numerous stories.

"Thank you, Aileen." Kim sat in the other chair and took a bite into the cake. Instantly, the sugary flavor satisfied her taste buds. It was as if her mouth was filled with a sweet, heavenly sensation that was unmatched by any other bakery product in the world. If only someone could tell her the recipe, Kim would bake bundt cake every day, every meal of the day, all year. She took another bite and thanked Aileen again politely.

A small feeling of debt swelled in her. This wasn't the first time Aileen had been nice to her and given her something. A while back, during the time of the harvest moon, a merchant arrived bearing exotic candies and drinks. He gave out free samples to the kids who asked, and only one to each, no matter how much each child pestered or pleaded. Kim heard of this several days before, because the man always came to trade in Dali during this time, but she couldn't come ask for the snacks because her mom was preparing a heavy dinner and needed her help for the entire day. Inside though, even to this day, she loved magic. Then the next day, Aileen arrived with a chocolate ball wrapped up in a dazzling, striped wrapper and gave it to Kim. Aileen said it was an "Ether Chocolate" which made the tongue savor from even smelling its aroma.

"Have it," she said with a cheerful smile, "I smelled it a lot yesterday already. It smells nice but this one is yours since I asked Daddy to buy one for you and Van. Don't worry, I have some for myself."

Kim always felt indebted to Aileen since that time for whenever she went to repay Aileen with some of her homemade cookies or brownies, Aileen would refuse, saying she wasn't hungry. Inside, Kim felt that Aileen wanted some of her chocolate sweets. One day, hopefully, Kim would be able to give something back to her.

"Kim, you're really quiet today. Does your throat hurt?"

"No," was the short, concise reply from Kim.

"Okay then. Don't be so sad and quiet but loud and happy! We're traveling and supposed to be having fun!"

"You girls still heading to Treno?" The man, presumably the owner of the house, appeared under the doorway. He leaned against the wooden frame, his height a head shorter than the frame. "The smoke is dying down, and I think it would be safer to walk outside now."

"Yep, we're going to get to Treno when it turns dark."

"Well, anyone traveling would get to Treno at nightfall, no doubt. Alright, you two better be going or else the gates there will close. Did you like the cake?"

"Oh yes, it was very, very, delicious." Aileen smiled knowing that her plate was completely cleaned off. Mr. Rover did so as well, wagging his tail as if in agreement. His plate, which the owner so kindly placed on the floor, was emptied clean. Kim stared down at her dish, littered with pieces of cream and crumbs. Truthfully, she wouldn't mind licking the plate clean but her manners presided over her urges.

"It was good."

"I'm glad you two..." Mr. Rover ran up to the man, his tail merrily waving like usual as he patted the man's leg with his puppy arms. "I mean, you three, liked it. A while back, I had a dog. I named him Lucky because everyone liked him and he was so much fun to have. Oh, did I have fun. Have fun with him while you're still young. There's less time for fun as you grow up. You girls should get going now while there's still light out."

"Where did the smoke come from," timidly asked Kim.

"The smoke, you ask? I talked to some people and they said the smoke was due to a train wreck at the Airship Gate at the top of this mountain. It might have been repaired since there is less smoke now but we can't be sure yet. With less smoke though, you two can venture on. Leave the plates on the table, I can clean them up later."

"Oh, I can clean them for you," proclaimed Aileen, taking everyone's dishes to the sink which was just a little higher than her arms could reach.

"Aileen, we should really get going."

"Yes, don't worry, leave them for me. I have no trouble washing dishes." The kind man walked over and took the plates from Aileen's hands. He put the dishes in the sink and started to rinse them. "Now get your stuff if you want to make it to Treno on time."

The girls went to the front and started to put on their shoes, reinvigorated for the journey still to come. Perhaps the energy came from the sugar in the cake, but whatever the cause, they wanted to get there as fast as possible. The sun shone between the clouds as they opened the front door. The sound of rushing water stopped in the back, and the gentleman came into the hall shortly to see them off.

"Have a safe trip you two. Do stop by again when you have a chance. I love seeing children smile when they eat my cake."

"By any chance, are you the super, spectacular, special bundt cake baker?" Aileen squealed with delight that could not be contained.

The baker let out a hearty laugh. "Why, yes I am, although I don't look like it out of my chef uniform. Please stop by when you have the time and I'll be happy to serve you kids more."

"Ok, we will. Bye mister!"

And so, they departed with a wave. With their possessions on hand, they left the house into the small village. The man was right about dust being less prudent in the air, but hints of dust still floated about so they did not walk too fast just to be safe. Now there were some people walking about, but they walked with a touch of worry and panic, asking many questions with a quickened and moody tone.

Without any troubles from anyone or anything, the young group got back onto the road to Treno. Mr. Rover walked at a decent pace in front of the girls, waving his tail back and forth and panting as though he was ready to chase after something for fun. Kim gazed toward the canine's direction, not trying to examine the dog but simply contemplating some issues unbeknownst to Aileen. Again, she coughed quietly to herself.

"Kim, are you sure you're ok? You are really, really, really, really quiet today"

"Oh, yeah, I'm ok. I'm just," pausing to let out a sigh," kind of missing home."

"Well, don't worry Kim. We're here to have fun, right?" Aileen continued to keep her happy posture, but her tone signaled signs of fret. "Your mom and dad may worry a little, but they know you're having fun."

"I don't think so…"

"If it makes you feel better, we can get bundt cake in Treno, but it isn't as fresh as it is here."

Kim glanced away from Aileen, trying to hide her face and her melancholy expression.

"Did I say something wrong? Did I hurt you in any way?"

"It's personal."

"Like what?"

"I'll tell you later!" Kim yelled abruptly. Aileen was shocked. "Really Aileen, I will. Sorry."

Kim went on ahead, keeping her head down with her hands covering her face. She felt bad for what she just did, but she was quite upset…unusually upset. After the trip to the cave, she felt pain inside for not telling anyone what really happened, specifically Aileen, but she didn't want to tell anyone until she was ready. Maybe she'll tell Aileen eventually, but not right now. After all, she didn't lie, but she didn't tell everything that happened…

Aileen watched Kim storm off ahead. She looked over at Mr. Rover who simply stared back. His large puppy eyes showed a lot of concern.

"She'll be alright, don't worry."

She reached over to pet Mr. Rover, but before the young child could touch the hair on his head, the dog moved away to avoid being touched and ran off ahead toward Kim's direction. The horrid feeling came back to Aileen. Abandonment, loneliness, silence, emotions of her past worries manifested inside of her. She promised herself that she would be nice to everyone so that no one would abandon her but now Kim and Mr. Rover, her closest friends, have left her.

"She'll be alright…" Aileen said with a sniffle. Her eyes began to water and her vision began to blur.

"She'll be…alright…" she whimpered, trying to comfort herself.

It was hard for her to speak and her voice was cracking the process. Her breathing was heavier than before and she struggled to keep herself from crying. Instinctively, she shook her head and got up. Aileen ran after the other two, whispering to herself words of comfort as tears flowed down her cheeks.


End file.
